Kelly and Tyler matched on Bumble in September of 2020. Tyler offered to help Kelly move in to her new apartment in Venice, CA as their first date. Wary of strangers on the internet, Kelly proposed the alternative to meet up for drinks after the move. Tyler had packed them a picnic kit of a blanket and cups- the perfect supplies for picking up to-go margaritas and tacos on the beach. They immediately bonded over their love of travel, reading and shenanigans.
A year and a half later of many flights taken, many books read and plenty of costumes worn, Tyler popped the question on St. Patrick’s Day 2022. It was a total surprise. Clad in his Irish overalls, Tyler proposed over to-go margaritas and the sunset outside of their first date spot, while both sets of parents looked on from the Venice Pier.
Kelly grew up spending her summers and winters on the West Shore in Lake Tahoe and as such, always wanted to get married in Tahoe. As she and Tyler are both avid skiers, the couple spent many winter weekends up at her family cabin. When looking at wedding venues, the couple wanted to find a lakeside venue that was both near enough to utilize the bride’s family cabin and large enough to host their family and friends. Gar Woods made a perfect venue for their requirements, not to mention happens to be one of the bride’s family’s favorite restaurants!
One of the things that mattered a lot in the wedding planning process was incorporating as many Tahoe elements that they could. They specifically sourced as many local vendors for the weekend as possible in order to promote and give back to local businesses.
The highlight by far was getting to spend time with our favorite people in Lake Tahoe. We really maximized the space at Gar Woods, making it feel like an intimate dinner party, despite the 180 guests. After a lakeside ceremony on the grass next to the restaurant, we had cocktail hour on the dock and beach- with Wet Woody’s included of course! Our guests were seated on the outdoor deck, with the indoor space transformed into the stage for the band, our dance floor and bar area.
The couple really put personalized touches on every detail of their wedding day. They wanted it to feel like a giant family reunion at one of their favorite places on the lake. Details such as our dueling piano band and choreographed first dance to “Dixieland Delight” really allowed for them to make the experience unique for their guests. They left Their personality mark by assigning books Tyler and Kelly have read together as table names, including a blurb about why the book was important to them as a couple. Their signature cocktails were named after their cats, Piper’s Skinny Margarita and Jacque’s Last Word. They also brought small touches, such as Kelly’s great-grandparents’ wedding champagne glasses, which have been used now for four generations of her family weddings.
Kellys advice for you all reading this is “There’s a saying that “your wedding is not about you, it’s about making [insert family/guests/mother of the bride/etc] happy.” I recommend that couples do invest the time and boundaries to prioritize themselves. It’s hopefully the only time that you’ll experience a wedding day, and it’s important to enjoy yourself!
We worked with incredible vendors who really valued our vision: 1) to feel like a family reunion and 2) to allow ourselves to have fun. This led to subtle changes, such as shorter portrait sessions with our photographer, so that we could enjoy some of our cocktail hour and creating a comprehensive song list of must have’s and do not play’s to really get our dance floor going!”
Coordination Tahoe by Design / Photographer Adorn Life Photography / Videographer Ashely Lowry Videography / Venue Garwoods / Florals Art in Bloom Design /Beauty Luna Belle Beauty Co / Music Felix and Fingers / Cake Lake Tahoe Cakes /Transportation Reno Tahoe Limo / Dress Yolancris / The Tux Hall Madden